A steel-cutting ceremony has been held at the Haimen shipyard of China Merchant Heavy Industries (CMHI) for the first of SunStone Ships' Infinity-class newbuilds.
The ice-class expedition cruise ship, which will be named Greg Mortimer, is the first of four on order at CMHI.
It will be chartered to Australian-based Aurora Cruises when delivered in August 2019.
Featuring up to 95 passenger cabins with bathrooms and balconies, the 104-metre Greg Mortimer will include a restaurant, lecture space, lounge, a 180-degree indoor observation deck, outdoor viewing areas, a gym, sauna, spa and a custom-designed platform for kayakers and divers.
There will also be a dedicated sea-level Zodiac loading platform and a mud room.
SunStone Ships also signed a contract with CMHI for the construction of the second Infinity-class ship, Infinity II, which is scheduled for delivery in August 2020.
Infinity II, which will have a capacity of 160 passengers, has not been chartered unlike sister vessels Infinity III and Infinity IV.